Berlusconi later passed a law shielding top government officials from prosecution while they're in office, then saw it struck down by judges.

The case is not related to the headline-grabbing allegations that he paid for sex repeatedly with an underage prostitute and later tried to pull strings to get her out of jail when she was arrested for theft.

He denies all charges.

Berlusconi has also been fighting against declining approval ratings, and his party has had major local election and referendum losses.

But in June, Italian lawmakers approved a vote of confidence for his economic reform package.

The measure -- which aims to boost growth in Italy, particularly in the southern regions -- showed that Berlusconi has a stronger majority in the lower house than his critics have estimated.